Hello Darkness My Old Friend

Did you see the title and think I was going to bemoan the time change? Whine about the loss of light and the soul-crushing blackness?

Too bad if you did because that’s not what this is about.

Nope.

This is about Penny and how she or I – maybe both of us? It’s unclear – may need an exorcist.

A few weeks ago now, she had crawled up next to me and was making nice, petting my face and nuzzling in my neck. I was reveling in her gentleness because it’s not something we see much of at present. I do not exaggerate when I say she is like a tiger these days. Heck, yesterday she bit Gem’s thumb hard enough to break the skin and make it swell up. That was AFTER she had attempted to burst our eardrums with her sonic scream.

And then? Then she pulls back, places a hand on each of my cheeks, looks gravely into my eyes and whispers just inches from my face,

“You are darkness.”

Okay, in the moment, I was only slightly taken aback and I laughed and laughed at the ridiculousness of it all. And then I started to think about it and get a little weirded out.

I told Jac the story and we giggled. I told the kids and we laughed. I told Billy and there was an uncomfortably long silence. “Wha-a-a-a-t the? Like, do we need a young priest and an old priest in this situation.”

My thoughts exactly.

But wait! There’s more!

Sunday during Mass Tess was trying to get Penny to do something she didn’t want to do. Tess, loving sister that she is, said, “Pen! You are darkness!”

“Me?!” Penny clutched at her heart and looked concerned. “I’m darkness?!” It lasted for all of 2 seconds before her face melted back into her deadpan serious. Again she leaned in close and said,